Bolster construction for rail car underframes



A. G. DEAN Aug. 6, 1946.

BOLSTER CONSTRUCTION FOR RAIL CAR UNDERFRAMES Original Filed Nov. 21,1941 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR fllberi 6. Dean,

ATTORNEY Aug. 6, 1946. A. G. DEAN BOLSTER CONSTRUCTION FOR RAIL CARUNDERFRAMES 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed. Nov 21 INVENTOR fiber; 6.Deal lliili ATTORNEY A. G. DEAN Aug. 6, 1946.

BO'LSTER CONSTRUCTION FOR RAIL CAR UNDERFRAMES Original Filed Nov. 21,1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR her; 6. Dean,

ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 6, 1 946 BOLSTER CONSTRUCTION FOR RAIL CARUNDERFRAMES Albert G. Dean, Narberth, Pa., assignor to Edward G. BuddManufacturing Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of PennsylvaniaOriginal application November 21, 1941, Serial No. 419,816, now PatentNo. 2,331,891, dated October 19, 1943. Divided and this applicationOctober 15, 1943, Serial No. 506,332

} 13 Claims. 1

The invention relates to a rail car underfraine and particularly to thebolster construction and associated parts of such an underframe.

The present application is a division of appll cants co-pendingapplication Serial No. 419,8l6 filed November 21, 1941, now Patent No.2,331,891, issued October 19, 1943, entitled End underframe constructionfor rail cars, which, in turn, is a continuation-in-part of applicantsformerly co-pending but now abandoned application serial No. 296,026,filed September 22, 1939, entitled Rail car underframe.

As in the parent applications, one of the main objects: of the inventionis to provide an underframeof the class which, for standard size railwaycars, is of light weight as compared with known such underframes and yetone which acts to absorb the heavy draft and buffing loads as well as totake the extremely heavy collision shocks incident to railway caroperation and which meets with A. A. R. requirements to substantiallythe same or even greater degree as previous heavy type underframes.

It is a further object of the inventionto provide an underframestructure which can be readily assembled in subassemblie by spotwelding, and. which. subassemblies. are. as readily joined together infinal assembly and to adjoin-- ing side and end wall structures of thebody, the latter also being preferably of light weight construction.

1 Tothe end of achieving these objects, substantially the entireunderframe, including the bolsters, transverse floor beams, longitudinalstringers, center and side sills and flooring, as wellas the end sills,and the buff and draft gear housing center sill extension connectin t eend sills tothe bolsters and center sill proper are constructed, inthexmain of light-gauge members which may be rolled or drawn sections ofstrip stock and which are so formed in their margins as to facilitatejoinder to each other and into. the body structure as a whole, as byspot Welding. i

To this end also, the center sill end extensions of theunderframeconnecting the end sill to the bolster and center sill proper, thebolster and the center sill proper may all be assembled as separatesubassemblies, the parts of which are so formed as to be readily sosubassembled and joined together in final assembly.

The bolster, in particular, is aseparate subassembly, preferably of boxsection form in cross section, and so designed as to. facilitate itsattachment in final assembly to the adjacentparts of the underframe andbody side walls in final assembly. It is reinforced in region of maximumstress, as in the region of the center sill and in the side bearingregions.

Other and further objects and advantages and the manner in which theyare attained will become apparent from the following detaileddescription when read in connection with the accompanying drawingsforming a part hereof.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a partial transverse sectional view through the underframe,the section being taken substantially along the line ll of Fig. 2,looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view, the section beingtaken substantially along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, but the center sillproper being shown in elevation.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the bolster and associated parts,the side wall post connected to the bolster being shown in horizontalsection.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view through the bolsterand associated parts, the section being taken substantially on the line4-4 of Fig. 1.

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are fragmentary detail sectional views takensubstantially along the lines 5.5, 6-6 and 1-1, respectively, of Fig. 1.

The underframe according to the invention comprises the center sillproper It extending through the bolster II' and having the end extensions l2 forming draft gear and buffer pockets between them andoverlapping the end of the center sill proper and rigidly securedthereto and to the bolster. The underframe parts imrnediatel'yassociated with the bolster further comprise, the longitudinal floorstringers it, the transversely corrugated flooring It, the side sills,

and the side wall posts 16.

The center sill proper in may comprise, as appears in Figs. ,1, 2, 3, aand 5, a compact columnar structure, built up of a plurality of sheetmetal sections secured together as by spot welding. It i of generallyrectangular form and the corners of the rectangle are formed by angularformations H which provide accessibility for ready attachment'ofassociated parts thereto. This form of sill is fully described andclaimed in the patent above referred to and further description thereofexcept as it enters into'the bolster constructionof the invention, isbelieved unnecessary.

The bolster, as H, i assembled as a separate subassembly unit and isbuilt up in the main of sheet metal parts. It comprises a box sectionstructure whose top face is flat and whose bottom face, for somedistance inwardly from its ends, is extended parallel to the top faceand then inclined downwardly toward the center and provided with a flatportion at the center of somewhat greater width than the Width of thecenter sill, Fig. 1. In the lower portion of this central deepenedportion, the bolster is provided with a rectangular opening H! toreceive the center sill.

The box-section of the bolster is comprised, in the main, of a flat topplate IS, a flat bottom plate and lateral channel section plates 2|,these latter being of laterally facing channel cross section with theirside walls overlapping the top and bottom plates and secured thereto byspot welding.

There are four such channel section plates 2|, and in their centralportion they terminate in their lower portions at the sides of thecenter sill receiving opening l8, but at their upper portions, they areextended inwardly over the center sill opening to have the upperportions of the two plates on each side of the bolster terminate inclose proximity adjacent its center, see Fig. 1. These extended upperportions of the side plates 2| are strongly joined together in each caseby a substantially J-section member 22 overlapping their inside faces bya wide overlap and secured thereto by numerous spot welds. As shown inFigs. 1 and 2, the bottoms of these J-section members terminate at thetop of the opening l8 which receives the center sill, overlap the topflanges ll of the sill and are secured thereto in the overlap.

The outer ends of the side plates 2| are extended at their ends beyondthe top and bottom plates to overlap the side walls of channel sectionposts, as It, of the side walls, to which they are secured in finalassembly as by spot welding.

Additional reinforcement and provision for securement to the side wallposts -is provided by a channel member 24 telescoped between the sideplates 2| and having its bottom wall in position to overlap the bottomwall of the post, this channel being, in final assembly, spot welded'tothe bottom wall of the adjacent post l6 and to the side plates 2| in thesubassembly of the bolster.

It is desirable to strongly reinforce the bolster against buckling inthe region where the horizontal side portion of its bottom wall mergeswith the downwardly inclined bottom of the central portion, adjacent theregion where the usual side bearing as 25 is provided. To this end,there is provided at this point a strong inner reinforcement which mayconsist'of two channels 26 and 21 welded to an intermediate flat strip28, which directly abuts the bottom 'wall of the bolster at this point.The side walls of the channels 26 and 21 telescope between the sideplates 2| of the bolster and are strongly secured thereto bynumerousspot welds.

' Since the side bearing, as 25, is secured adjacent this region bybolting it to the laterally extending flanges formed by the side plates2| and bottom plate ISL these flanges are further reinforced in thisregion by angle'me'mbers 29 spot welded through one of their arms'to theadjacent side plate 2| and through the other of their arms through theadjacent laterally extendingflange through which the securing boltsextend,'see Fi 1. V

At each side of the opening |8 receiving the center sill the bolster isfurther reinforced by triangular spaced gussets 30 of substantially theheight of the central portion of the bolster. These gussets havevertical flanges 3| paralleling the opening l8 and bottom flanges 32overlapping the lower lateral flanges of the side plates 2| and arestrongly secured to the side plate 2| in their overlapping body portionsby numerous spot welds, see Fig. 1.

In the angle of their lower margins, the side plates 2| are furtherreinforced by an angle 33 nesting with the angle formed by the body ofeach gusset 30 and its bottom flange 32. In these regions of quadruplethickness sheet metal is secured the center plate casting 34 of thebolster, as by riveting, as shown at 35, through the four thickness ofmetal and an overlapping portion of the casting. Since the center platecasting spans the opening |8 in the bolster, and is strongly secured tothe reinforced structure just described at the opposite sides of theopening, the entire bolster structure is strongly tied into the centerplate. The casting 34 has spaced lateral extensions, as 36, overlappingthe bottom flanged portions of the respective center sill en'dextensions |2 and securely riveted thereto to provide a strongconnection of the bolster with the bottom portions of said extensions,see Fig. 4.

At the sides, the opening l8 of the bolster is further reinforced byvertical plates 31 overlap: ping the vertical flanges 3| of the gussets30 and secured thereto. To these plates 31 are further secured at thefour corners of the opening the angles 38 spot welded thereto throughtheir vertical arms. These angles preferably extend some distance beyondthe opposite sides of the bolster and form flnal assembly joints forsecuring the center sill proper l0 to the bolster. When the bolster istelescoped over the center sill in the final assembly, the angularcorner portion ll of the sill |0 overlap or nest with the angles 38 andare secured thereto in the overlaps by spot welding, see Figs. 1 and 5.

The top of the bolster II is arranged substantially in the plane of theflooring and at the top, the bolster may have its side plates formedwith cut out openings, as 39, at spaced locations, see Fig, 1, andreinforced below said openings by angles, as 40, extending substantiallythe length of the bolster.

These cut out openings receive, in the subassembly of the bolster, shortchannels 4| extending beyond the inner and outer faces of thebolster andsecured to the angles 40, and the top flanges of the side plates 2|,through their side walls, the extended portions serving as final'assembly joint parts to connect the floor stringers, as l3, see Figs.2, 3 and '7. At the center, see Figs. 2 and 5, the two central members4| overlap in final assembly the respective center sill end extensionsl2 and are strongly spot welded thereto, to tie the bolster to thecenter sill end extensions adjacent the floor level. These endextensions may additionally be tied to the bolster by gussets as 42, seeFig. 2, overlapping the vertical flanges 3| of the gussets 30 and theadjacent center sill end extensions |2 and strongly spot welded to each.For the last stringer l3 at the side,.th'e cut out opening is notprovided to avoid weakening of the bolster in this region ofconnectionto the side wall of the body. At this location. theconstruction is that shown in Figs. 1 and 6. An outwardly facing channel43 is secured to the angle 40 and the adjacent-top flange of theadjacent side-plate of the bolster and a-short 'channel, as

4'4, is telescoped into this channel and secured to its side walls, thischannel projecting, like the channels 4!, to serve as final assemblyjoint parts on the bolster to secure the adjacent ends of a floorstringer I3. 7

After the bolster subassembly has been assembled with the center sillproper and its end extensions as already described, the side wallsubassembly, with its posts l6 and side sills l5 may be brought intoplace and secured thereto, by having the side sill overlap the top ofthe bolster and the posts secured between the side walls of the bolsteras already described. The trans-- versely corrugated flooring 14 maythen be laid over and secured to the stringers I3 and side sills [5.

From the foregoing description, it can be seen that the bolster can bereadily assembled as a subassembly unit, adapted to be readily joined infinal assembly to the center sill and center sill end extensions bystrongly reinforced joint structures and also to the longitudinalflooring stringers and side wall subassemblies. It is also seen that thebolster, except, for the center plate and side bearing castings isfabricated entirely of sheet metal members of relatively light gaugematerial so that an exceedingly light but strong bolster structureresults.

What is claimed is:

1. In a rail car underframe, a bolster having a vertically deepenedcentral portion, said bolster being a box cross-section fabricated ofsheet metal, the side walls being outwardly facing channels and the topand bottom walls being continuous flat strips overlapping the side Wallsof the channels and secured thereto, the side walls being continuous inthe upper portion but discontinuous in the lower portion of the bolsterto provide an opening for the extension of a center sill through thebolster, and reinforcing members for said side walls extending aroundthe sides and top of said opening and including means for attachment tothe center sill.

2. In a rail car underframe, a bolster of box cross-section fabricatedof fiat top and bottom plates and outwardly facing channel side platessecured through their flanges to the top and bottom plates, the bolsterside walls being cut away in their lower central portion to provide anopening to permit the passage through the bolster of a center sill, andreinforcing members flanking said opening including means for attachmentto the center sill in final assembly.

3. In a rail car underframe, a bolster having its top arrangedsubstantially in the plane of the floor and having transversely spaced,longitudinally extending openings therethrough adjacent its top, spacedangular strips extending through the openings, in the bolster below itstop, secured thereto and projecting from its opposite faces to providemeans for attaching longitudinally extending stringers of the underframeto the bolster.

4. In a rail car underframe, a box cross-section bolster fabricated inthe main of sheet metal members, comprising top and bottom throughrunning members and side members of varying vertical depthinterconnecting said top and bottom members, the central portions ofsaid side members being deepest and provided with an opening in theirlower portion for the passage of a center sill therethrough, reinforcingmembers for said side members, flanking the top and sides of saidopening and providing final assembly joint parts for attaching thebolster to the center sill.

5. In a rail car underframe, a box cross-section bolster fabricated ofsheet metal members, including top and bottom through running membersand side members of varying vertical depth interconnecting said top andbottom members, the central portions of said side members being deepestand provided with an opening in their lower portions for the passage ofa center sill therethrough, reinforcing elements for said side membersextending respectively, across the top and sides of said opening andsome distance therebeyond at top and sides to provide wide overlapsbetween said elements and the side members and, at the top, between saidtop and side rein forcing elements, and a center plate bridging saidopening and secured to the reinforced side members on opposite sidesthereof.

6. A bolster subassembly for rail car underframes having its toparranged substantially in the plane of the floor and laterally flanged,the bolster being cut out at spaced locations below said flange andreinforced by an angular member secured below said out out portion andparalleling said lateral flange, and angular strips passing through saidout out portions and projecting at the opposite sides of the bolster,said strips being secured both to the lateral flange and said angularreinforcing member paralleling the flange.

'7. A bolster subassembly for rail car underframes, comprising a boxcross-section beam, deeper at the center than at its ends and fabricatedof through running top and bottom members interconnected by laterallyfacing channel side members, the side members being formed with anopening in the lower central portions thereof for the passage of acenter sill, reinforcements for said side members flanking the sides andtop of said opening, and a center plate bridging the opening and securedat opposite sides of said opening to said reinforced portions flankingthe sides of the opening.

8. A bolster for rail car underframes, comprising a box section beam ofgreater depth centrally than at its sides and including flat top andbottom members interconnected by channel section side members, the sidemembers being formed with an opening in their lower portions forreceiving a center sill therethrough, reinforcing members connected tosaid side members above said opening and extending a substantialdistance on each side thereof, and further reinforcing members flankingthe sides of said openings and extending into overlapping relation withthe reinforcing members extending above said opening.

9. In a rail car underframe, a bolster of hollow cross-sectionfabricated of top and bottom plates and outwardly facing channel sideplates secured through their flanges to the top and bottom plates, thebolster side walls forming an opening in the lower central portion ofthe bolster to permit the passage through the bolster of a center sill,and reinforcing members flanking said opening including means forattachment to the center sill in final assembly.

10. In a rail car underframe, a hollow crosssection transverse bolsterbeam, deeper at the center than at its ends and fabricated ofthroughrunning top and bottom members interconnected by laterally facingchannel side members, the side members providing an opening in the lowercentral portions of the beam for the passage of a center sill,reinforcements for said side members flanking the sides of said opening,and a center plate bridging the opening and secured at opposite sides ofsaid opening to said reinforced portions flanking the sides of theopening.

11. In a rail car underframe, a bolster having a vertically deepenedcentral portion, said bolster being a hollow section fabricated of sheetmetal and having side walls in the form of outwardly facing channels anda bottom wall in the form of a continuous fiat strip overlapping theside walls of the channels and secured thereto, the side walls beingcontinuous in the upper portion but discontinuous in the lower portionof the bolster to provide an opening for the extension of the centersill through the bolster, and reinforcing members for said side wallsextending around the sides and top of said opening and including meansfor attachment to the center sill.

12. In a rail car underframe, a hollow crosssection bolster fabricatedof sheet metal members, including a bottom through-running member andside members of varying vertical depth interconnected by said bottommember, the central portions of said side members being deepest andinterrupted at least in their lower portions to provide an opening forthe passage of a center sill therethrough, reinforcing elements for saidside members extending, respectively, across the top and sides of saidopening and some distance therebeyond at top and sides to provide wideoverlaps between said elements and the side members and, at the top,between said top and side reinforcing elements, and a center platebridging said, opening and secured to the reinforced side members onopposite sides thereof.

13. A bolster for rail car underframes, comprising a hollow-section beamof greater depth centrally than at its sides and including a bottommember interconnecting channel-section side members, the side membersforming an opening in the lower portion of the beam for receiving acenter sill therethrough, reinforcing members connected to said sidemembers above said opening and extending a substantial distance on eachside thereof, and further reinforcing members flanking the sides of saidopenings and extending into overlapping relation with the reinforcingmembers extending above said opening.

ALBERT G. DEAN.

